Braamspunt is a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

, fishing village, and a former

military outpost A military outpost is detachment of troops stationed at a distance from the main force or formation, usually at a station in a remote or sparsely populated location, positioned to stand guard against unauthorized intrusions and surprise attac ...

in the Johan & Margaretha resort of the

Commewijne District Commewijne is a district of Suriname, located on the right bank of the Suriname River. Commewijne's capital city is Nieuw Amsterdam. Tamanredjo is another major town, while Meerzorg is the most populated. The district has a population of 31,4 ...

of Suriname. Braamspunt is the most western point of the Commewijne District at the combined mouth of the Suriname and

Commewijne River Commewijne River (Sranan Tongo: ''Kawina-liba'') is a river in northern Suriname. It originates in the hills of the Commewijne District and flows northwards until it receives the meandering Cottica River from the right and then runs westward un ...

. The capital

Paramaribo Paramaribo (; ; nicknamed Par'bo) is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname' ...

is located to the south of Braamspunt. The name is a corruption of Byam's Point which refers William Byam who was a

quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies, a quartermaster is generally a relatively senior soldier who supervises stores or barracks and distributes supplies and provisions. In ...

of Willoughby.

History

After Fort Nieuw-Amsterdam was constructed in 1747, a

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...

was created at Braamspunt to aid in the defence of the Colony of Suriname. Even though

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

did not officially annex the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

until 1806.

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

considered it a puppet state and started to eye the colonies. In 1804, the

British Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

arrived in Suriname with 31 ships and 5,000 soldiers. The redoubts Braamspunt and Leiden quickly fell to the enemy, but Fort Nieuw-Amsterdam managed to offer resistance before it too was conquered. Suriname was returned in 1815 at the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...

During the 18th century, ships had to

anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ἄ� ...

at Braamspunt before being allowed to continue to Paramaribo.

Nature reserve

In the late 19th century, the strategic importance of Fort Nieuw-Amsterdam and its redoubts started to decline, and Braamspunt became a little

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

village with a tiny population. The area is a nesting ground for turtles. The most important being the

leatherback sea turtle The leatherback sea turtle (''Dermochelys coriacea''), sometimes called the lute turtle or leathery turtle or simply the luth, is the largest of all living turtles and the heaviest non-crocodilian reptile, reaching lengths of up to and weight ...

s, and the green sea turtles. The area is also known for its diversity in bird life. A dolphin protection has been setup, because

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...

s are frequently often spotted near Braamspunt. During the 20 century, the importance of

wildlife Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted ...

was recognized, and because Braamspunt together with Galibi Nature Reserve was one of the few remaining nesting grounds for the turtles, it was designed as ''bijzonder beheersgebied'' (special management area) in 2015 in order to protect the turtles, and the bird population. As of 2017, attempts were being made to prevent disturbance by day tourism. Braamspunt can only be reached by

boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...

from ferry terminal Leonsberg, Paramaribo.

References

External links

Braamspunt Virtual Museum
{{Surinamese District Commewijne Beaches of Suriname Fishing communities Forts in Suriname Nature reserves in Suriname Populated coastal places in Suriname Populated places in Commewijne District